State Library of North Carolina

Reference Librarian speaking with a library patron

The State Library of North Carolina

The State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government; we build the capacity of all libraries; and we develop and support access to specialized collections.

More About The State Library

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For Libraries & Librarians

Library Development provides North Carolina library communities with access to the information they need to achieve their personal, educational and professional goals.

For Libraries & Librarians

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A young student reads braille in a classroom along with a teacher

Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped

The North Carolina Library for Blind and Physically Handicapped is the library for people who can't read standard print because of a visual or physical disability

See All That We Offer

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Government & Heritage Library

The GHL preserves and facilitates public access to state government information; advancing the study, understanding, and appreciation of North Carolina's cultural heritage; and supports the operational needs of state government agencies.

Government & Heritage Library

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Government & Heritage Library An extensive resource for information about North Carolina, the library focuses on government publications, genealogy, digital collections, data and demographics, North Carolina information, and research assistance.

Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped Free library service for people who can't read standard print because of a visual or physical disability. More than 50,000 books in audio, braille and large print. Plus magazines and descriptive movies.

For Libraries & Librarians State aid, consulting services, grants, continuing education, and public library certification.

A message from the State Librarian

The State Library of North Carolina envisions a future in which all North Carolinians have access to exceptional library services and to the information resources they need to achieve their personal, educational, and professional goals. I invite you to look around our website to discover some of the incredible resources we make available. Here’s one you might enjoy from our NCpedia: North Carolina Barbecue.

Better yet – use our services. Visit the State Library in Raleigh to make use of our nationally noted genealogy collection. Visit our online library from your computer to see state publications from the 1800’s to today, a history of the North Carolina State Fair (complete with photos of fried food), genealogy materials transcribed by volunteers throughout the US. and more. These collections are a historian’s delight! Do you have a friend or relative whose eyesight is failing? Contact the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped and sign them up for this free service. Finally, visit and support your local public library. It is the best deal in town (free!) and I bet that you will find something there to surprise and delight you.

Cal Shepard
State Librarian